“Jenna! You’re finally home!” Austin said, looking up from the old TV.
Jenna smiled at her brother. Austin was the stereotypical All-American Boy. He was the football quarterback in high school, valedictorian and was now a police officer working in traffic. He had always been her idol growing up, protecting her from everything he could.
“What cha’ watching?”
Austin grinned broadly, running a hand through thick blond hair. “Lady! There’s a bit of footage from her run tonight!”
“Only a bit?” Jenna replied, perching herself next to him on the arm of the beat-up sofa.
“Yeah, one of the police officers had a camera in his car. It’s not very clear, though.”
Thank goodness, she thought. Austin would have recognized her way too fast.
“Was Dane on duty?”
“Of course I was.”
Dane walked through the door, shaking his head at Jenna. “You shouldn’t leave the door open when you come home.”
Daniel Waite was the opposite of Austin. While Austin was very muscular, Dane had a corded look. Austin had blond hair and blue eyes, while Dane was dark. But when it came to personality, they were practically identical. He had been their next-door neighbor all their lives, even now that they had moved away from home.
“I just barely walked in.”
“You do stupid things, Jenna. Someone could have come inside, shot you two and robbed the place.”
“It wouldn’t be that easy,” Austin replied. “I wouldn’t just let them come in. But sit down and tell us about the case!”
“Don’t tell me you’re a Lady fan too,” groaned Dane.
“Too?” Austin and Jenna echoed.
“Quotes, pictures, stories-- you name it, it’s up on the web.” He sighed and stretched out his long legs, looking tired. “We don’t need Lady causing trouble.”
“To be fair, she’s only stealing once in a while. The police aren’t that busy, right?” Jenna said.
“We’re always busy. Rumor is that Ringleader is coming. If it’s true things are going to get really bad, really fast.”
“Who’s Ringleader?” Austin asked.
Dane raised his eyebrows. “Don’t you watch the news?”
“Only when Lady’s on,” he grinned.
“Another Lady fan. Great. Ringleader’s a leader of a syndicate called the Circus. He’s got his hand in just about anything illegal. Human trafficking, drugs, you name it. He practically owns the black market.”
He reached into his pocket and dropped a small red and yellow can in Jenna’s hand. Pepper spray. “Be careful, ok Jen?” He ruffled her hair.
Jenna stared at the can. “Don’t worry about me, Dane,” she whispered.
“What’s wrong, Lady?” Butler asked. “Did Austin or Dane figure it out?”
“No,” Jenna hissed into the phone. “Do you know what Dane gave me tonight? Pepper spray. I’ve taken karate since I was a kid, I’ve tackled both him and Austin to the ground three times each, I’ve avoided the police for almost two years, and he gives me pepper spray and tells me to stay inside like a good girl!”
Silence, then, “Jenna, I’m not really a therapist. Can’t you just tell Dane all this?”
Jenna sat on her bed, resigned. “No, because he’ll know who both of us are. He’s not an idiot. He’ll figure that my part-time job is a lie and that my boss is actually my accomplice and you’ll be in trouble too.”
“Jenna, I trust you. If you think Dane should be told, then go ahead. I’m old and bored and don’t care too much what happens to me. You’re an adult, decide what you’re going to do.”
Anger flared up in her again. “At least you admit I’m an adult, that’s more than Dane!” she paused, then, “get me a target for tomorrow after I sell the gem.”
“That’s not a good idea, Jenna. Ringleader’s just given the police a warning.”
“A warning? What kind of warning?”
“He calls it an invitation, but it’s a notice of who he’s going to target.”
“What does it say? Do you know?”
Butler laughed. “Of course I know. Yellow and red make a nice canopy, don’t you think? I need to take out the blue and my Circus will look great.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Take out the blue?”
“Tomorrow’s the reunion for the alumni of an old prep school. In other words, a gathering of—”
“Bluebloods. Get me a target anyway. The police will figure out the riddle and protect them.” 
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